Former World No.4 James Blake handed fine after breaching tennis sponsorship rules

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that the former world No. 4 James Blake, who is currently the Tournament Director of the Miami Open, has accepted a sanction for violating tennis anti-corruption sponsorship rules. The American cooperated with the investigation, as reported by the ITIA.

The former tennis player is considered a "covered person" and must comply with sports rules related to betting operators. According to the ITIA, the violation of the regulations was unintentional, and a fine of $56,250 was imposed.

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The imposed fine will be accompanied by an additional suspended fine of $131,250 and an 18-month suspension, which is also suspended. These additional measures will only be applied if a new violation occurs during the 18-month period, which began on February 9, 2024.

The ITIA acts as an independent body established by tennis members to protect the integrity of international tennis. TACP rules state that: “No Covered Person shall directly or indirectly, facilitate, encourage and/or promote Tennis Betting (‘Facilitation’).”

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Karen Moorhouse, Chief Executive of ITIA, stated that this case is more about perception than corruption:

“Across our members – the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slams – the rules prohibit accredited individuals from having commercial relationships with betting companies.”

“This case is more a matter of perception, rather than corruption. The rules apply to players, coaches, officials and accredited tournament staff - who all have the ability to influence results or have access to inside information,” she added

“We urge anyone in the sport who is unclear or is considering commercial deals like this to get in touch with us to seek guidance,” Karen Moorhous concluded.